Coronavirus Outbreak in Hubei Province, China: where to now?

Issued 1:45pm AEDT, 29th January 2020

Please be aware this post has 2 subsequent relevant updates. Click here to view our updated post.

Chinese authorities have identified an outbreak of a Novel (new) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan City in Hubei Province. Should you travel to this province in China, we advise you to exercise a high degree of caution. If you have travelled to the Hubei Province and have developed symptoms of respiratory illness, please contact your doctor.

We also advise all travellers to reconsider your need to travel to China, as advised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Smartraveller website. If your travel plans are affected, contact your airline, cruise or travel operator to check if tourist services are affected or for cancellations. However please note if you choose to cancel your trip, there are no provisions to claim under your policy for change of mind or fear of travel, and this is not a claimable event for travels outside the Hubei Provice, China. On top of this, please pay close attention to the local media and emergency services, including the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This is considered a known event as of 12:00am (AEDT) on 21st January 2020.

Am I Still Covered For Claims Related To This Event?

• If you bought your policy before 12:00am (AEDT) on 21st January 2020, you may be covered for claims related to this event (specifically in the Hubei Province, China).
• If you bought your policy between 12:00am (AEDT) on 21st January 2020 and 12:00pm (AEDT) on 29th January 2020, you may be covered for claims related to this event (specifically in the Hubei Province, China).
• If you bought your policy after 12:00pm (AEDT) on 29th January 2020, you will not be covered for claims related to this event in the Hubei Province, China. All claims are subject to the terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy you purchased. Please note:
  • You may not be covered for claims arising in other parts of China, where disruptions to the itinerary occur as a result of publicly known tourist attraction closures directly related to the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). For example: Shanghai Disneyland, the Forbidden City or the National Museum of China temporarily closing to contain the outbreak.
  • You may be covered for claims directly related to travel delays as a result of quarantines at major airports directly related to the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), outside the Hubei Province. Please be aware our policies only cover connecting flights where the stopover was originally scheduled on your itinerary for more than 6 hours.

For more information about travel insurance and Pandemic Coverage, check this article published by Choice: https://www.choice.com.au/travel/money/travel-insurance/articles/travel-insurance-pandemic